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Although its title may sound like a children's story, this finely-tuned comedy-drama is about an expert watchmaker in a small Hungarian village during World War II when the Gestapo come in to run the affairs of the town. The watchmaker Arpad (Tamas Jordan) is known as "Mr. Clock" because he has the rare talent of being able to tell the exact time of day or night without looking at a timepiece. After the Germans take over the village, their Gestapo chief, who has a large collection of clocks, becomes friendly with the watchmaker. That friendship is doubly dangerous because Arpad is Jewish. Before long, several local authorities are arrested, along with a Hungarian colonel, many ordinary citizens, and the watchmaker himself. A scheme is afoot to spring the colonel from prison, but since the prisoners have all been stripped of their watches, the success of the clockwork escape plan depends solely on Arpad's uncanny ability. The original actor cast as Arpad, Lajos Oze, one of Hungary's most accomplished thespians, died before this film was completed, and he was replaced by Tamas Jordan, in a topnotch performance.